Airplane pickup device



Aug. 16, 1949. J. H. CONNELLY AIRPLANE PICKUP DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 20, 1944 JaH/v C0 NNE-L L Y,

. Inventor ;Aug. 16, 1949. J. H. CONNELLY AIRPLANE PICKUP DEVICE Filed Oct. 20, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet? Q I B) 93 such a device, of means Patented Aug. 16, 1949 John H. Connelly,- Phoenix, Ariz., assignor to Southwest Airways Arizona company, a corporation of Application Octfolier 20, i944, serial Na. 559,545

g 12 Claims. (01. 258*12 This invention relates to a pick-up device for airplanes, and more'particularly-to sucha device adapted to pick up anarticle' or articles from a stationary position, as on the ground, irom a moving airplane while" in flight;

A primary objector this invention is the provision of an improved pick-up device characterized by resistance means, whereby the article to'be picked up" will be relatively gradually accelerated to the flying speed of the plane. f

An additional object'of this invention is the provision'of such a device" which will serve to minimize the shock otherwise transmitted to the article and/or plane at the instant of pick-up contact. V 7

Still another object is the provision of such a device provided with means for progressively increasingthe resistance of the shock-absorbing means in such a devicegas the speed of the picked-up article increases. f V

A still further object 'is' the provision of such'a device; including a cable adaptedtobe payed out topick up an article" from a stationary having hydraulic'meahs iii association therewith, whereby when the article is picked up, the cable will continue to be" payed out, against increasing resistance from the hydraulic means, until such time as the article so picked up has achieved a speed'equal to the fiyingspeedof the plane.

Still another object the provision of such mean which may, upon the achievement of flying speed or the article'picke'd up, be utilized to draw the article into the body'of the plane. A

A Still further objeeti's' the p'rO'Vi SiO'n of mean's in association with such a device whereby the cable may be reeled and unreeled without' actu ation of the above-mentioned hydraulicmechanism. p r

Still'another specific object the provision, in whereby sudden. shock tothe hydraulic mechanism, such as maybe o'ccasioned by quick pick-u of an article, is eliminated. f

Other objects residein the combinations of elements, arrangementsof parts, and features of construction; all as will'be more'fully'pointed out hereinafter and-disclosed in the accompanying drawings, wherein there is'shown' a preferred embodiment of this inventive concept.

In-the'drawingst' I v Figure 1 is a partially schematic elevationai view of an airplane in flight, equipped with the mechanismofthe instantinvention, about to' ick up an article from the" ground";

Figure? is aside elevational View of-the mechaposition,

2 nisr'rr incorporated within the plane, adapted to control the pick-up of the article on the ground.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along'the line 3%3 of Figure 2, and

a sectional view taken substantially on'the line 4 *"4 of Figure 2, asviewed inthe direction indicated by the arrows.

Eikereference numeral refer to like parts throughout the several views; of the drawings.

Having reference now to the drawings, and more particularly to Figure 1, there is generally indicated at H) an airplane inflight, through a suitable aperture f5 in the bas'eof which extends a cable providedat its extremity with a grapplinghook'jij Hook I2 is adapted to engage with any desired stationary article It positioned on a suitable ground pick-up device, as, for example,

suspended'on'a cord positioned between two posts AshStshOwh' in Figure 2', the cable H extends through the aperture. l5 in the floor' Id of the plane'to'a reel generally indicated at H, comprised of end plates I8 and I9 and a central core trernities of which are journaled in suitable journame; or bearings in uprights 22 and 23, mounted. on a baseflplat'e, 2d secured to the floor Hi of Positioned adjacent plate I8 is a clutch face 25 adapted to engage and" abut an opposed clutch face 2'6" associatedwith a gear 21 which is threaded1y'mcunt doria threaded portion 28 of axle 2|; Gear 21' is adapted to engage with a gear 30 niounted'on' adriveshaft 3| of a hydraulic pump 1'32; of any desired conventional type, the oppositelend'ef shaft 3| being journaledin a suitable supporting bracket 33.

Cut intothe core 2|! of reel H, at the side adjacent plate [9, is'a' c'onieal'depression 35 adapted tote engaged by a cone clutch 35 splined, asby splines '31, toaxie 2|. A thr'eadedsleeve 33- is adapted to engagein a threaded borev 39 in suppart 23'', and has integral? therewith or secured iterate a hand' wheel 40, the sleeve and hand wheel being" adapted to V rotate about axle 2!, which is slid'abl'y fittted therein, whereby. rotation of the same will forcecone clutch 35 into engagementwith conical depression 35 for a purpose to iijdes'cribed hereinafter.

Frdm the foregoing it will be seen that, since the reel fil's'in'the engagementsprfeviously mentioned, free tofrotate on shaft 2|, it may be'rotated by hand; in such manner as to pay out the cable or rope when it desired toutilize'thes'ame for picking up an absence of one of the clutch,

article from the ground or the like. When a sufficient amount of cable has been payed out, the hand wheel 40 is turned to cause the clutch 36 to seat in the conical depression 35 so that when the grappling hook I2 engages the article to be picked up 13, the resistance of the article 13 to movement occasions the further unrolling of the cable H from reel I1, which in turn rotates the axle 2| and causes the threaded gear 21 to move along the threaded portion 28 until the clutch faces 25 and 26 engage. Such engagement occasions rotation Oif the gear 2! which in turn rotates gear 30, shaft 3| and hence drives hydraulic pump 32.

Referring back to Figure 1, an inlet line 50 leads from a reservoir of hydraulic fluid or the like to hydraulic pump 32, and an outlet 52 leads therefrom to an accumulator 53. Accumulator 53 is of conventional design and comprised of two halves 54 and 55 separated by a flexible diaphragm 56. Contained within half or portion 55 may be compressed air, or an inert gas under pressure, to counteract the increasing pressure of hydraulic fluid pumped through line 52 into portion 54 thereof. Thus, it will be seen that as the pressure in accumulator 53 is increased by the action of the pump 32, the force required to operate the pump will increase progressively, until such time as the article picked up has reached the speed of the flying plane, or before, at which time further paying out of the cable H by rotation of reel ll will be precluded, due to the increased force necessary to force further fluid into the accumulator 53.

A second line 51 leads from storage tank 5| to a conventional hand pump 58 provided with an operating handle 59, from which a line 65 leads through a one-way valve 6| into accumulator 53.

After the article has reached flying speed and it is desired to draw the same upwardly into the plane through the opening l5 in the floor thereof, the hand pump 58 is operated by means of handle 59 until such time as the pressure in accumulator 53 is sufficiently great to drive hydraulic pump 32 in a reverse direction, whereupon the same acts as a hydraulic motor to wind the cable I I about reel i1, rotating the reel in the opposite direction from that previously discussed, whereupon the cable and its attached article are drawn upwardly into the plane.

Upon the completion of such operation, when the article is safely aboard, and it is desired to re-set the device, a hand valve 62 positioned in a line 63 leading from accumulator 53 to storage tank 5| is opened permitting the fluid to drain from the accumulator back to the storage tank until such time as the pressure is equalized, whereupon the device is again ready for operation in the manner previously described.

A pressure gauge 64 is provided at any suitable location, as, for example, in line 63, to indicate at all times the pressure in accumulator 53.

Thus, from the foregoing it will be seenthat there is herein provided a device accomplishing all the objects of this invention and others, including many advantages ity and .commercial importance.

As many embodiments may be made of this inventive concept, and as many modifications may be made in the embodiment hereinbefore shown and described, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted merely as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Iclaim:

1. In a device of the class described a reel of great practical ut ilfreely rotatable upon a shaft, manually controlled means to establish a driving connection between the reel and the shaft, hydraulic reel braking means adapted to offer progressively increasing resistance to the rotation of the reel including a pump and means operable upon rotation of the shaft to establish a driving connection between the reel and the pump.

2. In a device of the class described, a reel freely rotatable on a shaft, manually controlled means to establish a driving connection between the reel and the shaft, a pump, means operable upon rotation of the shaft to establish a driving connection between the reel and the pump and means coupled to the pump outlet to create a progressively. increasing back pressure in the pump whereby progressively increasing resistance will be offered to the rotation of the reel.

3. In a device of the class described, a reel freely rotatable On a shaft, manually controlled means to establish a driving connection between the reel and the shaft, a pump,'means operable upon rotation of the shaft to establish a driving connection between the reel and the pump and an accumulator coupled to the pump outlet to create a progressively increasing back pressure in the pump whereby progressively increasing resistance will be offered to the rotation of the reel.

4. In a device of the class described, a reel freely rotatable on a shaft, manually controlled means to establish a driving connection between the reel and the shaft, a pump, means operable upon rotation of the shaft to establish a driving connection between the reel and the pump, a source of fluid supply coupled to the intake side of the pump and an accumulator coupled to the outlet side of the pump to receive the fluid pumped by the pump and create a progressively increasing back pressure in the pump whereby progressively increasing resistance will be offered to the rotation of the reel.

5. In a device of the class described, a reel freely rotatable on a shaft, manually controlled means to establish a driving connection between the reel and the shaft, a pump, means operable upon rotation of the shaft to establish a driving connection between the reel and the pump, a source of fluid supply coupled to the intake side of the pump and an accumulator coupled to the outlet side of the pump to receive the fluid pumped by the pump and create a progressively increasing back pressure in the pump whereby progressively increasing resistance will be offered to the rotation of the reel and means to transfer the fluid pumped into the accumulator to the source of fluid supply.

6.'In a device of the'class described, a reel freely rotatable on a shaft, manually controlled means to establish a driving connection between the reel and the shaft, a pump, means operable upon rotation of the shaft to establish a driving connection between'the reel and the pump, a source of fluid supply coupled to the intake side of the pump and an accumulator coupledto the outlet side of the p mp to receive the fluid pumped by the pump and createa progressively increasing back pressure in the pump whereby progressively increasing resistance will be offered to the rotation of the reel and a pump between the accumulator and the source of fluid supply to transfer fluid from the accumulator to said source.

7. In a device of the class described, a reel freely rotatable upon a shaft, manually controlled means to establish a driving connection between the reel and the shaft, hydraulic reel braking means adapted to offer progressively increasing resistance to the rotation of the reel including a pump and means operable upon rotation of the shaft to establish a driving connection between the reel and the pump, a :cable attached at one end to the reel and. a grappling hook attached to the opposite end of the cable.

8. In a device of the class described, a reel freely rotatable on a shaft, manually controlled means to establish a driving connection between the reel and the shaft, a pump, means operable upon rotation of the shaft to establish a driving connection between the reel and the pump and means coupled to the pump outlet to create a progressively increasing back pressure in the pump whereby progressively increasing resistance will be oflfered to the rotation of the reel, a cable attached at one end to the reel and a grappling hook attached to the opposite end of the cable.

9. In a device of the class described, a reel freely rotatable on a shaft, manually controlled means to establish a driving connection between the reel and the shaft, a pump, means operable upon rotation of the shaft to establish a driving connection between the reel and the pump and an accumulator coupled to the pump outlet to create a progressively increasing back pressure in the pump whereby progressively increasing resistance will be offered to the rotation of the reel, a cable attached at one end to the reel and a grappling hook attached to the opposite end of the cable. I g

10. In a device of the class described, a reel freely rotatable on a shaft, manually controlled means to establish a driving connection between the reel and the shaft, a pump, means operable rupon rotation of the shaft to establish a driving connection between the reel and the pump, a source of fluid supply coupled to the intake side of the pump and an accumulator coupled to the outlet side of the pump to receive the fluid pumped by the pump and create a progressively increasing back pressure in the pump whereby progressively increasing resistance will be offered to the rotation of the reel, a cable attached at one end to the reel and a grappling hook attached to the opposite end of the cable.

11. In a device of the class described, a reel freely rotatable on a shaft, manually controlled means to establish a driving connection between 6 the reel and the shaft, a pump, means operable upon rotation of the shaft to establish a driving connection between the reel and the pump, a source of fluid supply coupled to the intake side of the pump and an accumulator coupled to the outlet side of the pump to receive the fluid pumped by the pump and create a progressively increasing back pressure in the pump whereby progressively increasing resistance will be offered to the rotation of the reel and means to transfer the fluid pumped into the accumulator to the source of fluid supply, a cable attached at one end to the reel and a grappling hook attached to the opposite end of the cable.

12. In a device of the class described, a reel freely rotatable on a shaft, manually controlled means to establish a driving connection between the reel and the shaft, 2. pump, means operable upon rotation of the shaft to establish a driving connection between the reel and the pump, a source of fluid supply coupled to the intake side of the pump and an accumulator coupled to the outlet side of the pump to receive the fluid pumped by the pump and create a progressively increasing back pressure in the pump whereby progressively increasing resistance will be offered to the rotation of the reel and a pump between the accumulator and the source of fluid supply to transfer fluid from the accumulator to said source, a cable attached at one end to the reel and a grappling hook attached to the opposite end of the cable.

JOHN H. CONNELLY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 448,227 Gordon Mar. 17, 1891 619,073 Deering Feb. 7, 1899 619,074 Deering Feb. '7, 1899 1,070,197 Snell Aug. 12, 1913 1,482,924 Hescock Feb. 5, 1924 2,131,868 Bolton et al Oct. 4, 1938 2,349,284 Kinzelman May 23, 1944 2,373,413 Plummer Apr. 10, 19,45 

